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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. W. DOT-Y 8v J. AfMAGKNIGI-IT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

'Patented Mar..2, 1,897.

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y v v 3 Sheets;-Sheet 2y W. W.v DUTY 8v J. A. MAGKNIGHT. ELECTRICSWITCH.

Patented Mar. Z, 1897.

(No Model.)

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W. W. DOTYU J. A. MAGKNIGHT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Patented Mar. 2.1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. DOTY, OF NEV YORK, AND AJAMES MACKNIGHT, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEWYORK, ASSIGNORS OF THREE-FIFTHS TO CHARLES J BIOKMAN, JOSEPH O. GRAUTEN,AND CHARLES C. GRAUTEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,139, dated March 2,189'?.

Application filed July 1, 1896. serial No. 597,765. uro model.)

The invention relates to switches for street-2 io car and surface roads;and its object is to provide a new and improved electrical switch whichis simple and durable in construction, not liable lto get out of order,wholly automatic, and readily controlled by the operator in charge ofthe approaching car to permit of readily setting the switch according tothe intended direction of the car.

The invention consists principally of a pair of solenoids connected withthe switch-point 2o and adapted to be alternately energized by a currentunder the control of the operator on the approaching car.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details andcombinations of the same, as 2 5 will be fully described hereinafter andthen pointed out in the claims. l Reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indi- 3o cate correspondingparts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of the improvement as applied. Fig. 2 is asectional plan view of the controlling-switch. Fig. 3 is a sectionalelevation of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section of theimprovement. Fig' is a plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a sectional sideelevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a reduced plan view of a modied form ofthe improvement, and Fig. 8 is a side elevation 4o of the mechanism onthe car for controlling the current going to the solenoids in the modiedform shown in Fig. 7.

The switch-point A for opening and closing the main track B and theside-track B' is pivoted at A' and is provided at its under side with adepending pin A2, engaged at opposite sides by the vertical members oftwo bellcrank levers C and C', fulcrumed on a suitable framework D,arranged in a foundation 5o E, forming an opening in the track-body, as

plainly illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The outer ends of thehorizontal members of the said bell-crank levers C and C are engaged bythe vertically-disposed plungers F2 and F3 of the solenoids F and F',respectively, of any approved construction, and supported on the frameD. The solenoids F and F have a ground connection and are also connectedby wires G and G with the electromagnets H and H2, respectively formingpart of a controlling-switch H, arranged in a casing H3, supported onthe said frame D between the two solenoids F and F', as plainlyillustrated in the drawings.

The electric current for the switch H passes through a wire I to theswitch, the said wire being connected with the insulated sections B2 inthe main track in advance of the switchpointfA, as plainly indicated inFig. l.

Now when an approaching car passes onto the section B2 then the operatorin charge of the car connects a current-generating device with the saidsections B2, so that a current passes through the wire I to thecontrollingswitch H, which connects with either of the two solenoids For F', so as to energize the same and cause the corresponding plunger F2or F2 to slide upward and impart a swinging motion to the correspondingbell-crank lever C or C to shift the switch-point Aint an open or closedposition to permit the car to either continue on the main track 0r passonto the side-track B', as the case may be.

It is understood that the currentmay be furnished from a trolley-'wirein case the railroad is equipped as such; otherwise a generating devicelocated on the car will answer the purpose. In any event a currentissent by the operator in charge to the wire I in case it is desired tochange the switch-point A, that is, if the latter is not-in position forthe car to proceed in the desired direction.

The wire I connects with a bracket J, insulated in the casing H3 andprovided with a pivot-pin J', on which swings a tubular lever K, adaptedto make contact at its ends with the contact-plates L and L', likewisein'-v sulated in the casing K2' and connected by the wires H4 and H5with the electromagnets H2 and H', respectively. In the tubular 1e- IOCver K is fitted to slide an armature N for both electromagnets H and H2,the said armature being formed at its middle with an elongated slot N',through which passes the pivot-pin J.

Now it is evident that when the several parts are in the position asshown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the left-hand end of the lever K makescontact with the plate L and the current is sent through the wire I tothe bracket .I then this current passes to the lever K, contact-plate L,and by wire H4 to the electromagnet H2, connected by the wire G with thesolenoid F', so that the plunger F3 therein is caused to move upward toimpart a swinging motion to the bell-crank lever C/ and to shift theswitch-point A from the side-track to the main track to close the latterand to open the side-track, so that the carcan pass to the sidetrack inthe desired direction.

Now when the electromagnet H2 is energized by the current passingthrough the same then it attracts the armature N, so that the latterslides up the inclined lever K from the left to the right, and in doingso the righthand end of this armature overbalances the left-hand end,and as soon as the current in the electromagnet H2 ceases then the leverK is forced to swing with the right-hand end downward owing to theoverbalancin g weight of the right-hand end of the armature N. The leverK, in swinging in the manner described, breaks the contact at the plateL and makes contact at the plate L. Now when the next car passes intothe section B2, and this car is designed to continue on the main track,then the current sent through the wire I passes to the bracket J, leverK, plate L', wire I-I5 to the electromagnet H to energize the same andto continue through the wire G to the solenoid F, in which the plungerF2 is forced upward to impart a swinging motion to the bell-crank leverC, so as to switch the switch-point A from the main track to theside-track to close the latter and make the main track open.

y The energizing of the electromagnet H causes it to attract thearmature N, so that the latter slides from the right to the left andcarries the overbalancing-weight to the left hand, and so that themoment the current ceases the lever K swings back to the position shownin Fig. 3. rlhe lever in doing so breaks the contact at plate L andagain makes contact at the plate L.

IVe do not limit ourselves to the special way of sending the electriccurrent alternately to the solenoids, as it is evident that forrailroads of different construction it is necessary to modify thisparticular device. For instance, as shown in Figs. 7 and S, the electriccontrolling-switch H is entirely dispensed with, and the solenoids F4and F5 have their wires I' and I2 connected with short strips or railsI3 and I4, arranged between the trackrails and adapted to be engaged bya shoe O, formed or secured on a lever O-, mounted to swing on theunderside of the car P and normally held in an uppermost position, asindicated in Fig. 8. The lever O' can be swung downward by the operatorin charge of the car pressing a foot-piece Q, so as to cause the saidshoe O to make contact with either of the strips I" or I3 to send anelectric current from the car through the lever O and shoe O to thecorresponding wire I or I2 to energize the corresponding solenoid Fl orF5. rThe operation of the latter is the same as above described, thatis, the solenoid actuated shifts the switch-point to the other side toopen or close the main track, as previously described.

Now it will be seen that the devices described are very simple anddurable in construction and are not liable to get out of order, asmoist-ure is not apt to interfere with the proper workings of the parts.

It will be further seen that the operator in charge of the car canreadily change the position of the switch-point whenever the latter isnot in the proper position for the car to travel in the desireddirection, the operator simply manipulating the device on the car tocause a current of electricity to pass to the solenoid to shit-t theswitch-point, as described.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. An electrical switch, provided with a pairof solenoids adapted to be energized by a current under the control ofthe operator in charge of an approaching car, and bell-crank leversconnected with and operated by the said solenoids, and adapted to engagethe switch-point on opposite sides, to shift the latter from the maintrack to the side-track or vice versa, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. An electrical switch, comprising a switchpoint mounted to swing,bell-crank levers adapted to engage the said point on opposite sides,solenoids for operating the said bellcrank levers, and means Asubstantially as described, for energizing either of the said solenoidsto shift the switch-point into the desired position, as set forth.

3. An electrical switch, comprising a pair of solenoids adapted to shiftthe switch-point, and an automaticswitch for controlling the currentpassing to the respective solenoid, said switch comprising acurrent-reversing bar which forms the armature of a solenoid and ismoved endwise upon a fixed central pivot, substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. An electrical switch, comprising an insulated track-section, anautomatic controlling-switch connected with the said tracksection, forsending current from the car through the said section to the saidswitch, a pair of solenoids controlled from the said automatic switchand bell-crank levers engaging the switch-point and actuated by saidsolenoids, substantially as shown and described.

5. An electrical switch, comprising a pair of solenoids bell-cranklevers operated there- IOO IIO

by and adapted to shift the switch-point, an automatic switch forcontrolling the current passing to the respective solenoid, and meansfor sending a current to the said switch, as set forth.

6. An electrical switch, comprising an insulated track-section, anautomatic controlling-switch connected with the said tracksection, forvsending current from the car through the said section to the saidswitch, a pair of solenoids for throwing the switchpoint and controlledfrom the said automatic switch, and bell-crank levers engaging oppositesides of the switch-point and actuated from the said solenoids to shiftthe switchpoint, substantially as shown and described.

'7. An automatic electrical switch, compris'- ing two electromagnetsarranged opposite each other, a lever adapted to rock between the saidelectromagnets, and an armature-lever fitted to slide on the saidrocking lever and adapted to be attracted by either electromagnet',substantially as shown and described.

8. An automatic electrical switch, comprising two electromagnetsarranged opposite each other, a lever adapted to rock between the saidelectromagnets, an armature-lever fitted to slide on the said rockinglever and adapted to be attracted by either electromagnet, and contactplates connected with a source of supply and adapted to be alternatelyengaged by the ends of the said rocking lever, to connect theelectromagnet with the corresponding contact-plates, substantially asshown and described.

9. An automatic electrical switch, comprising two electromagnetsarranged opposite each other, a lever adapted to rock between the saidelectromagnets, an armature-lever fitted `to slide on the said rockinglever and adapted to be attracted by either electromagnet,contact-plates connected with a source of supply and adapted to bealternately engaged by the ends of the said rocking lever, to connectthe electromagnet with the corresponding contact-plate, and twosolenoids having connection with the said electromagnets and actuated bythe current passing through the corresponding contact-plate, armatureand electromagnet, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM W. DOTY. JAMES A. MAOKNIGHT.

Witnesses:

A. A. HoPKiNs, THEO. G. HosTER.

